FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the outward appearance of a conventional optical disc drive. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional optical disc drive comprises an upper cover 110, a front panel 120, a tray panel 130, a control button 140, and a signal-indicating aperture 150. After the optical disc drive is installed in a computer system, only the front panel 120, the tray panel 130, the control button 140 and the signal-indicating aperture 150 are exposed.
FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view illustrating the components within the conventional optical disc drive and relevant to the front panel. The optical disc drive has a closed space, which is defined by the upper cover 110, a lower cover 112, the front panel 120 and the tray panel 130. In addition, a spindle motor, an optical pickup head, a sled motor, a tray motor, a control circuit, and some other components are disposed within the close space of the optical disc drive. Since these components are not subject matters of the present invention, these components are not shown and described in the drawings.
Please refer to FIG. 2 again. A supporting tray 132 and the tray panel 130 are collectively defined as a tray module. The supporting tray 132 is used for supporting an optical disc (not shown). The movement of the tray module is driven by the tray motor (not shown), so that the tray module may be loaded into or ejected from the optical disc drive for loading or unloading the optical disc.
Moreover, a daughter circuit board 114 is located at a front edge of the lower cover 112. A LED indicator 116 and a control switch 118 are mounted on the daughter circuit board 114. After the front panel 120 is combined with the upper cover 110 and the lower cover 112, the LED indicator 116 is aligned with the signal-indicating aperture 150, and the control switch 118 is aligned with the control button 140.
Moreover, the control button 140 is in contact with the control switch 118. In a case that the control button 140 is pressed down by the user, the control switch 118 is triggered. Once the control switch 118 is triggered, the tray module is controlled to be moved forwardly or backwardly in order to load the optical disc or eject the optical disc. Moreover, during a data-accessing operation of the optical disc drive is performed, the LED indicator 116 emits a flickering light signal. The optical light is transmitted through the signal-indicating aperture 150, so that the working status of the optical disc drive is realized by the user. Generally, a light-guiding pillar 160 (see FIG. 3) is inserted into the signal-indicating aperture 150 for guiding the light signal. Due to the light-guiding pillar 160, the light signal from the LED indicator 116 is not directly projected onto the user's eyes, and thus the possibility of injuring the user's eyes will be minimized.
FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a front view of the conventional optical disc drive and a partial top view of an inner portion of the conventional optical disc drive. As shown in FIG. 3, an end of the control button 140 is fixed on the front panel 120. In a case that the control button 140 is not pressed down, the control button 140 is in contact with the control switch 118. When the control button 140 is pressed down, the control button 140 is moved toward the inner portion of the optical disc drive with a point A as a fulcrum, so that the control switch 118 is triggered by the control button 140. Once the control switch 118 is triggered, the tray module is controlled to be moved forwardly or backwardly in order to load the optical disc or eject the optical disc.
Please refer to FIG. 3 again. The light-guiding pillar 160 is made of a translucent plastic material. The light-guiding pillar 160 is fixed in the signal-indicating aperture 150 of the front panel 120. Due to the light-guiding pillar 160, the light signal from the LED indicator 116 is not directly projected onto the user's eyes, and thus the possibility of injuring the user's eyes will be minimized.
As is well known, the front panel 120, the light-guiding pillar 160 and the control button 140 are three different components of the conventional optical disc drive. After the front panel 120 is produced, the light-guiding pillar 160 should be additionally combined with the front panel 120 by the worker of the assembly plant of the optical disc drive. Moreover, the end of the control button 140 should be fixed on the front panel 120.
From the front view of the conventional optical disc drive, it is found that the front appearance is determined by the front panel 120, the light-guiding pillar 160, the control button 140 and the tray panel 130. These components are produced by injection processes using respective molds. After these components are produced, the light-guiding pillar 160 and the control button 140 are fixed on the front panel 120 by manpower. In other words, the process of assembling the front panel of the conventional optical disc drive is complicated.